In America today, it is harder and harder not only to get ahead, but also to hold on to what we’ve got. The stock market may be up, but millions of Americans see their paychecks stay flat even as the costs of health care, housing, and college are rising. 1 For too many workers, one job is not enough. Working and middle class families simply can’t keep up.
In my mom and dad’s generation, nine out of every ten kids did better than their parents. But for Americans of my generation, the odds are no better than a coin flip.2 Working family incomes have stagnated almost my entire life. 3 Meanwhile, most of our economic growth goes to a smaller and smaller slice of the wealthiest Americans—a dangerous level of inequality that not only threatens our economic security, but also tears at the very fabric of our democracy and our society. 4

We need an economy that delivers more. Families across the country need to see higher incomes, lower costs, and a brighter future for our children. In the United States, economic gains should be shared by everyone and everyone should have a fair shot at real opportunity.

The status quo with companies like Facebook and Uber setting the rules and government sitting on the sidelines must change. Our government can, and should, play a role in setting a level playing field that gives all Americans a chance to succeed. That doesn’t mean government taking over the economy. But government does need to be a vigorous presence in ensuring that our economy actually works for all. That means strict enforcement of new and existing labor laws to rebalance power toward workers and ensure that new industries and technologies fuel growth, not more inequality. That means public investments that lead to thriving workers, children, and families. And that means providing Americans with low-cost, high-quality public options in health and education that spur competition and drive the private sector to improve.

As president, I will measure success not just by the size of the stock market or gross domestic product, but by whether working and middle class families are succeeding. I will use public enforcement, public investments, and public options to make the economy deliver for all Americans, not just those at the top.

This plan will:

Pete's agenda starts by lowering costs for American families. Today, more than half of a working family’s income is consumed by housing, 5 health care, and child care.6 When kids grow up and go to college, expenses only increase.7 Pete will lower costs through both public regulations that protect consumers, and low-cost, high-quality public options that keep the private sector competitive.

LOWER HOUSING COSTS.
Rent—let alone owning your own home—is simply out of reach for too many families.8 Pete will invest $430 billion to unlock access to affordable housing for over 7 million families. He’ll dramatically increase the supply of affordable housing by building or restoring over 2 million units for the lowest-income Americans, as well as work to reform local zoning laws to make it easier to build housing for working and middle-class families. Pete will also invest in homeownership, particularly for Black Americans, enabling 1 million more low-income families to become homeowners. A Buttigieg administration will simultaneously launch the Community Homestead Act to facilitate wealth accumulation through homeownership for low-income families from formerly redlined neighborhoods. His administration will invest $170 billion to ensure that all eligible families with children have access to housing choice vouchers, mobility counseling, and wrap-around services. And he’ll make critical investments in local infrastructure, education, and business development to ensure that every neighborhood is a neighborhood of opportunity.

LOWER CHILD CARE COSTS.
In more than half of states, a year of child care is more expensive than in-state college tuition.9 Pete will make a historic $700 billion investment in affordable, universal, high-quality, and full-day early learning, as well as outside-of-school learning opportunities in K-12 education. He will make early learning and care from birth through age five free for lower-income families and affordable for all, and invest in the child care workforce. As part of this broader program, Pete will strengthen and build on Head Start. Because child care costs continue after children start school, Pete will invest in a new, innovative program to provide cost assistance to working and middle class families for after-school and summer programming.

LOWER COLLEGE COSTS.

College costs squeeze families and stifle our future—putting the brakes on new industries, businesses, or scientific discoveries that could accelerate economic growth. Pete will invest $500 billion to make college affordable for working and middle class families, so that 80% of families of public college students that earn up to $100,000 will not pay any public college tuition. Larger Pell Grants for students at public colleges will help students from low-income backgrounds graduate completely debt-free. A Buttigieg administration will also make $50 billion in new investments in HBCUs and MSIs to help students of color thrive.

PROTECT CONSUMERS’ RIGHTS.

Another major source of high costs in America are the bad actors that have abused corporate power and trampled on consumer rights. Pete knows that our system is off balance when you can’t sue your credit card company even after they get caught ripping you off. Pete will announce a bold regulation plan to end these and many more abuses, further lowering costs for working and middle class families.

Pete will raise working and middle class incomes by unlocking income earned by working Americans and resetting the balance of power between workers and corporations. He will also invest in workers and the well-paying middle class jobs of the future in growing industries like clean energy, health care, and technology.

Break barriers that stop workers’ incomes from growing.

Working and middle class Americans are not getting paid what they are due. Corporations suppress women’s incomes. Black Americans face barriers to getting a promotion or starting a business. Working and middle class families often face higher tax rates than billionaires.12 To address these challenges, Pete will:

GROW WORKERS’ INCOME BY EXPANDING THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT.

This will increase incomes by an average of $1,000 per year for 35 million American families, as proposed in the Working Families Tax Relief Act. This $400 billion tax cut offsets income taxes and other taxes that eat into workers’ take-home pay.13

PASS A $15 MINIMUM WAGE.

This will deliver a raise to over 25 million low-wage workers and spur wage increases for millions more middle-wage workers. 14 Pete will also end the tipped minimum wage and the subminimum wage.

ENSURE ALL WORKING AMERICANS HAVE ACCESS TO PAID SICK LEAVE AND 12 WEEKS OF COMPREHENSIVE PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE.

Pete will pass an enhanced version of the FAMILY Act to create a national paid family and medical leave fund. Such a policy will ensure that benefits for lower-income workers are high enough so they can afford to take leave.

UNLOCK THE INCOME POWER OF AMERICANS OF COLOR.

People of color have been intentionally excluded from American prosperity. Through actions that include launching the Walker-Lewis Initiative, expanding the SBA Microloan Program, doubling loans awarded to women-owned small businesses, and supercharging investment in Community Development Finance Institutions, Pete will unlock $60 billion to support underrepresented entrepreneurs including—Black Americans and women.

INCREASE SALARIES FOR TEACHERS, DOMESTIC WORKERS, AND DIRECT CARE WORKERS.

A Buttigieg administration will raise pay standards, ensure the right to union representation and bargaining, and create pathways to career development and certification.

Open the door to better paying jobs for more Americans.

We must raise incomes and keep them growing. Pete’s administration will do this through major public investments in workforce development and job growth that not only keep the wheels of industry turning, but also ensure workers can benefit. Pete will work with states and local communities to:

FUEL THE ECONOMY OF THE FUTURE BY GROWING SUCCESSFUL JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR ALL WORKERS OF ALL AGES IN EVERY CITY AND TOWN IN AMERICA.

Pete will invest $50 billion in workforce training and lifelong learning. Local non-profits, unions, employers, and community colleges have created proven pathways for young and middle-age workers into good jobs.15 Pete will invest federal dollars into these programs so that incomes can grow for all workers, whether or not they have a college degree.

CREATE A NATIONAL NETWORK OF APPRENTICESHIPS.

Pete will invest up to $5 billion over the next decade to ensure an apprenticeship program in a growing industry is available within 30 miles of every American.

DELIVER HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND INTERNET TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES BY INVESTING $80 BILLION IN PETE’S INTERNET FOR ALL INITIATIVE.

Better internet will enable rural workers to be more productive and earn higher wages, as well as unlock the potential for local business growth and global connectivity.16

EXPAND AND CONNECT REGIONAL INNOVATION CLUSTERS TO REVITALIZE AMERICA’S RURAL ECONOMY AND CATALYZE JOB CREATION.

Pete will provide up to $500 million in federal funds to develop and support a national network of 1,000 clusters and create additional matching funding for investment in innovative rural businesses.

Reset the balance of power between workers and corporations.

Government and business policies have relentlessly tilted the balance of power away from workers and toward corporations. The minimum wage has fallen by 30%.17 Union membership has fallen by 70%.18 For some workers, bargaining does not even exist.19 Basic benefits like paid sick leave are left completely up to employers. Pete’s bold Empowering Workers plan will shift the balance of power back to workers and deliver fair, higher incomes.

HOLD EMPLOYERS ACCOUNTABLE TO LABOR LAW.

Pete will codify and strictly enforce simple tests to prevent workers from being denied minimum wage, overtime, and anti-discrimination protections—and their ability to unionize.

EXPAND WORKER PROTECTIONS.

A Buttigieg administration will expand protections for gig workers, farm workers, and domestic workers—all of whom are currently denied protections.

The next generation has always been better off than the previous, but we risk breaking that compact and deepening inequality if we don’t change course fast to make big, innovative, and effective public investments in the next generation and in the economy they will inherit.20 The choice between equality and growth is false. We can only achieve better outcomes for middle and working class families with a strategy for economic growth that catalyzes the potential of every person, and every place, in America.

Through new, fair public options that cut costs for working and middle class families, stronger regulatory enforcement that keeps private industry playing by the rules, and smart public investments that kickstart growth, Pete will lead us into a more equitable and prosperous 21st century.